NPY Women’s Council CEO Andrea Mason named 2016 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year

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Congratulations to Andrea Mason, winner of the 2016 Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award announced at a gala dinner in Melbourne last night. Andrea, who is the CEO of the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council in the Northern Territory, also took home the 2016 Telstra Australian Business Women’s For Purpose and Social Enterprise Award.

Andrea Mason has had a variety of roles in both the public and private sectors in the Northern Territory, all focused on opening just and fair access to Aboriginal people, through employment, workforce planning, tenancy management and negotiating reconciliation action plans. In 2009, she was made CEO of the NPY Women’s Council.

For more than 20 years the NPY Women’s Council has been supporting its members through service delivery, advocacy, education and employment. All services are provided for women and their families to increase their capacity to lead safe and healthy lives with improved life choices. Due to the nature of the organisation, the range of services on offer and the geographical remoteness of the communities, Andrea has to be very adaptable in her role. On a day-to-day basis she transitions from being a policy maker, to a social reformer, a negotiator, an advocate or an inspirational leader. She is also responsible for the 413 members of the Council, who are all women over the age of 16. As an Aboriginal woman herself, she says it is a career highlight to work in an Aboriginal women’s member-led organisation.

“I love being the type of leader that I am because it means I can take communities with me on a journey,” said Andrea.

Joe Pollard, Telstra Business Women’s Awards Ambassador, Group Executive Media, and Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Ms Mason speaks with dignity and leads with humanity and cultural sensitivity. She has demonstrated tangible success in breaking the cycle of domestic violence, which has the potential to be ground-breaking for women tackling one of Australia’s biggest issues.”

“She has involved the entire community in her business model and built a blueprint for making a difference. Significantly, Ms Mason has developed a replicable commercial process and relationships to make it sustainable.”

Other winners at the 2016 Telstra Australian Business Women’s Awards are: Jenny Paradiso from Suntrix in South Australia (Entrepreneur Award), Inspector Virginia Nelson from the Queensland Police Force (Public Sector and Academia Award), Jackie McArthur from Martin Brower in New South Wales (Corporate and Private Award), Rituparna Chakraborty from TeamLease Services Ltd in India (Business Woman in Asia Award) and Anna Ross from Kester Black in Victoria (Young Business Woman of the Year).

Ms Pollard says that all the winners of the 2016 Telstra Australian Business Women’s Awards epitomise what the program sets out to achieve.

“Our national winners are thriving in their diverse industries and demonstrating exceptional business acumen and the courage to challenge the status quo.”

“We are honoured to celebrate their achievements, give them the recognition they deserve and provide the platform for these brilliant business women to achieve even greater success,” she said.

Now in their 22nd year, the Telstra Business Women’s Awards are Australia’s longest running and most esteemed women’s awards program. For the first time, in 2016, the Telstra Business Women’s Awards extended into Asia to further recognise and reward the courage, leadership and creativity of brilliant business women in the region.